Fencing has been becoming more and more popular since being an Olympic sport in 1896, and the number of participants has risen in an explosive manner in recent years. Accordingly, more attention was paid to the research about fencing protective clothing. And the technology progress of fencing protective clothing plays an important role in the steady development of the competitive sport with high risk and strong antagonism.
Desired properties of fencing protective clothing include light weight, high strength, good softness and comfort. In view of the requirements, some products have been available commercially, such as Dyneema fencing clothing from DSM and ALLSTAR fencing clothing. Along with the development of the sport, however, better performance is in need, especially protective performance and comfort.
As illustrated in CN102090741A, CN102963078A, CN103462276A, CN201869837U, et al, the research to fencing protective clothing at present is mainly focused on multi-layer composite fabric. The materials used in these fabrics usually contain high-strength fibers such as ultra-high molecule weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), aramid, and polypropylene. It is hoped to obtain satisfactory protective performance and comfort through the adjustment of the structure and material of multi-layer fabric. In addition, there are some reports in the new material area. For example, a flexible light liquid, stab-proof material for fencing protective clothing is disclosed in CN102692161A, which is formed through the integration of a non-weft cloth of high-strength fiber, a three-dimensional hollow-structured fabric of high-strength fiber, and a liquid with shear thickening characteristics by a hot sewing technology.
Limited to the materials and/or process, however, the fabrics mentioned above are still inadequate in light weight, protective strength, flexibility and comfort. And multi-layer structure relates to more complicated production process and higher cost.